Meet in the Middle Rally
Sat May 30th, 1:00pm at Fresno City Hall Map

Rally for a day of dignity, happening on Saturday May 30th, 2009. Win or lose -- we are hoping to galvanize our movement as we knit a community that cries for FULL Access, Equality & Justice for ALL.

12:00 noon - Rally Warm-Up Begins
Special help from:
Youth Today & Equal Action

1:00 p.m. - Rally Begins ~
Speakers scheduled to appear:

  • Jeff Robinson – Central Valley’s history and efforts for LGBT equality
  • Robin Tyler - Reaction to the court decisions
  • Angelica Salas – Bi-national discrimination around marriage equality and the need to address immigrant rights
  • Molly McKay & Terry Stewart – Marriage equality is the cornerstone of this movement – we need you all to get involved – joined by MEUSA chapter leaders
  • Andrea Shorter - Use the arms of legislative lobbying, community building to bring about change
  • GSA Network Youth Leaders (speakers TBA soon) – Safe School Legislation and the social obligation to enforce this protection EVERYWHERE - bullying leads to self-hate, self-violence and hate crimes
  • Emery Hannon & Morgan Early – My family deserves equality
  • Chrysanthe Tan - The value of listening to our youth
  • Ellis Vance – Educator, father, grandfather and husband of 42+ years
  • Kip Williams - Engaging those who struggle to understand us
  • Layne Soares – Veteran of the US Army addressing “Don’t Ask; Don’t Tell”
  • Lt. Daniel Choi - Don’t Ask; Don’t Tell – Don’t Fire Me
  • Assembly Member John Perez - The politics of equality
  • Diana Oliva – Rural legal assistance and the need to commit, as a community, to not allow our trans community to be excluded from legislation that is meant to protect us
  • Rabbi Denise Eger – Human sexuality, interfaith dialogue and human rights
  • Jerry Thurston & Diane Blair - Social obligation to come out for equality
  • Christine Chavez – We must continue to march, united for equality
  • Father Geoff Farrow - Religious persecution leads to self-hate, self-violence and hate crimes and that is on the hands of those who do not speak out
  • Sal Rosselli
  • Rev. Eric Lee – “Proposition 8: The California Divide”
  • Dustin Lance Black - We need to fight religious persecution and social discrimination anywhere if we want to help our LGBT brothers and sisters everywhere - the need for full Federal equality
  • Rick Jacobs - The work that must be done EVERYWHERE
  • Cleve Jones - LONG HARD STRUGGLE for equality
  • Robin McGehee, Our Family Coalition & COLAGE - The families who learn the language of discrimination
  • Camp Courage Fresno Team with Courage Campaign's Fresno County Equality Team - Canvas team